Question

If a vascular cambium cell undergoes one round of mitosis, one daughter cell _______ and the other ______.

a. Becomes xylem; becomes phloem
b. Becomes vascular cambium; becomes lateral meristem
c. Becomes xylem; remains vascular cambium
d. Adds length to the plant; adds girth

Answer 1

When a vascular cambium cell divides during mitosis, one daughter cell becomes a xylem while the other remains as vascular cambium, contributing to the plant's secondary growth.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a vascular cambium cell undergoes one round of mitosis, one daughter cell becomes xylem; the other remains vascular cambium. The vascular cambium is responsible for secondary growth in plants, which adds to the diameter of a stem or root. This secondary growth occurs as the vascular cambium produces a secondary xylem towards the inside and a secondary phloem towards the outside. Most of the new cells produced by the vascular cambium are on the inside, thus more secondary xylem is produced than secondary phloem. The process of secondary growth is significant as it contributes to the thickening of the stem or root, ultimately leading to the solid support structure observed in woody plants.